Locking device for thumb nuts



J. M. WINTROB LOCKING DEVICE FOR THUMB NUTS Aug. 4, 1925. 4

Filed April 10, 1923 Patented Aug. 4, 1925.

UNITED STATES JACOB IVI. WIN'IROB, 0F PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

LOCKING DEVICE FOR THUMB NUTS.

Application filed. April 10, 1923.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JACOB M. WVINTROB, a citizen of the United States, residing at 918 Pine Street, Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia. and State of Pennsylvania have invented new and useful Improvements in a Locking Device for Thumb Nuts, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to new and useful improvements in a locking device for thumb nuts, and has for its primary object to provide an exceolingly simple and effective device of this character which forms a prominent part of the thumb nut and which after said thumb nut has been properly adjusted may be positioned so that parts thereof coact with the device on which the thumb nut is mounted to prevent accidental rotation of said thumb nut.

Another object of the invention is to produce as an article of manufacture, a thumb nut having a cap adjustably mounted thereon'to control the longitudinal movement of rods which are adapted to register with holes in a device on which the'thumb nut is mounted to prevent said thumb nut from being accidentally backed off.

With these ends in view, this invention consistsjinthe details of construction and combination of elements hereinafter set forth andthen specifically designated by the claims.

which this invention appertains, may understand how'to make and use the same, I will describe its construction in detail, referring by numerals to the accompanying drawing forming a part of this application, in which Fig. 1, is a conventional sectional side elevation of an iron illustrating a use for locking the thumb nut embodying my invention.

Fig. 2, is an enlarged fragmentary sectional face viewof the device showing the details of construction.

Fig. 3, is a similar view of a slightly modified form of the locking device.

Fig. 4, is a. further. enlargedfend View of one of the rods used in the modified form.

In carrying out my invention as here embodied, I particularly desire to use the looking device in conjunction with a thumb nut to hold the separable members of an electric iron or the like in detachable relation and for convenience of description I have shown Serial No. 631,109.

such an iron herein designated by the numeral 2. This iron comprises a base 3 which in the cap that the latter may rotate independently of said disc and a convenient way of constructing this cap so as to provide the groove 11 for the disc 10 is to utilize a separate ring 12 of less height or length than the height of the side walls of the cap, said ring being swaged or otherwise fixed in the cap and this ring is threaded for engagement with the externally threaded boss 8.

The disc 10 carries a pair of rods 13 which pass through holes 14 in the thumb nut and said rods preferably have enlargements or heads 15 for insertion in the enlarged portions or recesses 16 of the holes 14 and the difference in diameters between the holes and their enlargements provide shoulders which the heads 15 will engage during the outward movement of the cap 9 to limit said outward movement and prevent the cap 7 a from being removed from thethumb nut. In order thatthose skilled'in the art to- When the heads of the rods are projected from the enlarged portions 16 of the holes 14 they are adaptedto enter aligning holes .or pockets 1'2 formed in the device with which the thumbnut coacts, in this case the .top 6 of the iron, after the thumb nut has been properly adjusted upon the screw or bolt 4 having threaded engagement with the threaded bore 18 of the thumb nut.

From the foregoing description it will be seen after the thumb nut has been threaded upon the bolt 4 and to its proper position in engagement with the device 6 the enlarged portions 16 of the holes 14 will be in alignment with the pockets 17. As soon as this adjustment is obtained the cap 9 may be screwed inward on the threaded boss 8 of the thumb nut this carrying the disc 10 toward said thumb nut and causing the rod 13 to be moved longitudinally until their enlarged ends or heads 15 are projected from the recesses 16 into the pockets 17. When the parts are thus positioned the thumb nut w l b e fe tu y lasted against aswid ntalrotation and therefore the user of a device employing such a thumb nut, as for instance, an electric iron will not be annoyed by the thought that the parts might accidentally become separate;

In Figs. 3 and 4, I have shown a slightly modified form of this invention wherein the cap 19 is slidably or telescopically mounted upon the boss 8 ofthe thumb nut and to the top wall of this cap arefixed the rods 20 slidablymounted in the holes 14L with the headspQl of said rods housed in the enlargements or recesses 16 otsaid holes 1 1 when the cap is moved outward to the position shown in Fig. 3. The heads 21 of these rods also act to prevent the capi'ro n beingwithdrawn from the thumb nut in thesame manner asset forth in connection with the preferred form of my invention but inthis modification the heads oi the rods are preferably of oval shape and are slotted laterally asindicated at 22', Fig. 1, to provide a plurality of resilient tongues or elements 23 so as to frictionally engage the side walls of the holes or pockets 17 "in the device or article 5 and the tension of said resilient elements or tongues will produce sufficient :r'riction on theside walls of saidpockets to preventthe accidental displacement of the cap 19 while permitting said cap to be readily and quick- 4 1y moved'outward when occasion requires.

In this form of the invention after the thumb nut has been properly adjusted on thebolt or screw 4L so that the enlarged portions or recesses of the holes 14; register with the, pockets 17 the cap 19 may be readily forced inward so as to move [the rods 20 longitudinally and. project the heads 21 thereof from the enlargements 16 into the pockets 17 which will effectually lock or hold the thumb nut inplace but when it is desired to remove the thumb nut a very slight pull upon the cap will slide it outward and withdraw the resilient heads of the rods from the pockets 17 into the en larged openings 16 in the thumb nut at which time said nut may lie readily revolved for removing the same from the 10011; or screw 4.

Of course I do not wish to be limited to" the exact details of construction as herein shown as these may be varled within-the limits of the appendedclaims without departing from the-spirit of my invention.

' Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new 'and'nsei'ul is 1. A locking'device for thumb nuts 00111 prisingin combination, a thumb nut havinga central threaded bore {whereby the same may be screwed upona bolt" and further provided with a pair of holes parallel two, difiierent diameters, said thumb nut including an externally threaded bQSS portion, a cap having threaded engagement withsaid 7 said thumb nut. with the bore,each of said holes being of said thumb nut and its boss also havingholcs therethrough parallel with the bore and so spaced as to align with the holes in-the' device with which the thumb nut coacts when threaded onthe bolt, said holes being of two different diametersto provide shoulders intermediate their length, rods within said holes and having heads fitting the larger portions of the holes and coacting with the shoulders to limit the movements otsaid rods in one direction and a cap, having threaded engagement with the boss ofthe thumb nut and connected with the rods to control the movements of the' latter as said cap is screwed on or oil the hose for projecting the headsof the rods intothe holes in the device with which the thumb nut is associated or for withdrawing 1 them irom' such holes. y

3;. A locking device for thumb nuts comprising in combination, a, device having a pair of holes, a bolt associated with said 'device, a thumb nut, an integral externally threaded boss formed therewith,s aid thumb nut auditsv boss having a threadedbore therethrough' for coaction with the bolt, said thumb nut and its boss also having holes therethrough parallel with the bore andso spaced as to align with the holes in the device with which the thumb nut coacts when threaded on the bolt, said holes being of two different diameters to provide shoulders intermediate their length, rods within said holes and having heads fitting the larger portions of the holes and coactng with the shoulders to limit the movements of said rods in one direction, a cap, a threaded ring fixed withln saidcap pnoviding a circmnferential groove and a disc within said'cap' and setting inthe groove whereby said cap maybe rota-ted independently of the disc and-said disc being fixed to the ends of the rods whereby the latter wi ll be moved in orout of registration with the holes in the device with whichthe thumb nut coacts as the cap is screwed on or ofi e; A locking device for thumb nuts comprising in combination, a device having a pairot holes, a bolt associated with said-device, a thumb nut, ani-ntegral boss fortned therewith, said thumb nut and its boss having a threaded bore therethrough for 00- aotion with the bolt, said thumb nut and its boss also having holes therethrough parallel with the bore and so spaced as to align with the holes in the device with which the thumb nut coaots when threaded on the bolt, said holes being of two different diameters to provide shoulders intermediate their 10 length, rods within said holes and having heads fitting the larger portions of the holes and ooacting with the shoulders tolimit the movements of said rods in one direction, and a cap coacting with the boss and connected with the rods for moving them longitudinally as the cap is moved on or oil? the boss of the thumb nut.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto affixed my signature.

JACOB M. WINTROB. 

